PC Tools Firewall Plus is retiring!

Yes, this is too bad. I liked the firewall.

I believe it was 2006 when Symantec killed the Sygate firewall which I use on occasion and feel is still a good FW.
With this, I see no way for PC Tools free antivirus or Threatfire to survive.

So how about a contest ?
Who will Symantec buy and kill next ?
(too bad McAfee is off the market )

 

"McSym" (Maxim?) emerging, both splitting their shares alltogether, and anthropophagite themself to an extinct!

 

PC Tools Firewall was a great firewall too. I use it on both of my computers and it has been pretty light and silent. But you would have kind of guessed this day would come since Symantec bought out PC Tools, so it isn't entirely surprising. But, it is still disappointing. I guess I'll start looking for a new firewall sometime here soon.

 

I've used it before....found it to be fine but it wasn't my favorite. Definitely not gonna miss it....I do feel the pain though for others who're using it. In any case, you can still download PC Tools Firewall from mirror sites such as Softpedia or Majorgeeks

 

I just did...just in case.

 

Strange why PC Tools release a new BETA today ?

PC Tools Firewall v7.0.0.77 Beta is now available

http://www.pctools.com/forum/showpost.php?p=233679&postcount=3

 

Perhaps someone didn't get the memo? Lol. I don't know, different project maybe? Rogue programmer? Case of right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing? Who knows.

 

Maybe they just released a new beta build and got the message that it was going to be integrated into a suite shortly after they released the build.

 

The way I see it, kjdemuth, you basically answered your own question.

If codylucas16 says that "Symantec has lost my support", and he is, "Uninstalling NIS from the PCs it is on now", those are his business decisions and how his business works. Right?

There is very little that a customer can do these days in the face of corporate operations except to exercise his or her right to support (or not support) a product or company according to how it feels best. And that's what it boils down to, in my opinion... what feels best.

If it feels right to codylucas16 to remove NIS and declare his non-support for Symantec, I say carry on! A voice in the wilderness, perhaps, but a meaningful voice nonetheless!

 

I don't know, the more I think about it, the weirder it gets. A company decision like that is, under normal circumstances, not decided upon and sent out to employees the same day or even the same week. To release a beta and then so quickly after decide to to kill off the entire thing, I don't know, I mean, we're talking a couple of days max, and, now, a new Beta is released AFTER word got out the project was dead? Most places, a company will make a decision and send out an email in the next few days company wide. And then, there is a small window of time before whatever decision was made takes affect. Especially if it causes an interruption with normal business operations.

It all seems rather hasty, and, a bit unprofessional. Not that I'm going to try and get inside the mind of Symantec.

 

I just installed the beta (thanks ESS474 for the link).

No problems encountered during install.
Web access without a hitch.

I'm keeping the installer.

 

I'd be very surprised if both didn't suffer, rather than "roll in". They seem to forget the basic nature of the internet, which means word-of-mouth now goes around the world more or less instantly. Considering the number of experienced users (including me) who are determined to stick with reputable freeware, which is typically as good as if not better than commercial versions, I suspect their "market" will shrink down to just pre-installations in new systems fairly quickly.

 

Nah, I disagree very much. This won't hurt them at all among the customers who truly count...those that have company/corporation-wide licenses yearly and the "everyday" users who don't follow these business deals and decisions. To your average user, reviews count, whether from a magazine, online computer news website, those kinds of places. Those are the places that don't very often even mention such deals, so very few ever really know. Let's face it, PCTools is not "huge". Buying them up was only slightly more newsworthy than Google's yearly acquisitions of small, almost unknown companies.

I truly believe Symantec will simply add PCTools tech to their own firewall, claim they "updated" their own firewall and get the kudos.

 

Very surprising and sad news... what a pitty, another good software discontinued

 

I just visited the PC Tools website and they're showing downloads for Internet Security 2011, Spyware Doctor 2011, and Spyware doctor With Antivirus 2011 as well as download links for both versions of Threatfire- but no firewall.

Here's a link to PC Tools Internet Security 2011 which showed up today at Softpedia.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/PC-Tools-Internet-Security.shtml

 

I really liked PCTFW really well too. Lets face it PCT was probably getting Zero business from offering this Firewall. It may very well be that the costs of developing this FW was too much for them to keep offering it. I for one think that PCT has some good core businesses but that a security suite that is free or this free firewall did not help them a bit in the competitive world. A recent computer acquisition revealed NIS pre installed but sure enough it seemed to have a threatfire module without calling it that. My feelings are that threatfires day are numbered also. The reason to remove NIS was that it seemed to freeze up the computer just like in the old days when I was using Threatfire. Anyway so it goes.

 

Whats the latest build? The download is still at PCTools website:

http://www.pctools.com/firewall/download/

 

Check post #31 in this thread for beta 7.0.0.77

Beta 7.0.0.62 (beta) is available at www.fileforum.com

version 6.0.0.88 can be found at Softpedia and at Major geeks.

Version 6.0.0.74 can be found at www.download.com

ps: I didn't find a link to the firewall via the link you provided.

 

Which was the version that was the best?
It seems i remember seeing tests where it was competing with comodo for performance

v6 something i think...

maybe this would make a good thread?
or not...

its one of the lightest fws i have ever used...it was the one i would fall back on sometimes
if you liked it i found filseclab similar at least in terms of speed and ease of use (getting decent reviews from what ive seen)

im trying cis beta (without av) right now ...really nice! (fingers crossed)

 

MICROSOFT then GOOGLE?
or vice versa

ps: re:I see no way for PC Tools free antivirus or Threatfire to survive
are you sure enough of their motives to say that?
maybe they found too basic of a flaw that wasnt practical to go back and fix?
im no expert on coding or the situation... just asking

 

I could be wrong about this.
My memory tends to get somewhat foggy at this time of day.

From what I remember, the PC Tools firewall starting with version 4 began to really impress and only got better through versions 5 and 6.

As time went by, it kind of got lost in the shuffle due to improved versions of better known and/or promoted firewalls from Comodo, Online Armor, Outpost, the improved Private Firewall, etc.

Personally, I've liked it since version 4 except for including the option to install the Google toolbar.
That is always a no-no for me.

 

nooooo, i was planning to use this as the firewall in my new laptop looks like im gunna have to be looking elsewhere now, this was by far my favourite firewall tho

 

The truth is that mine was a comment shot from the hip.
-Still- I really believe it is destined to occur.

In the long run, I can't see Symantec hosting any freeware that has the possibility of taking business away from their signature applications.
It would not surprise me in the least to see Symantec completely kill the PC Tools brand; do away with all of their offerings including the "paid" products.

 

You can still use the firewall- version 6 or 7 (beta).
You will find links to versions 6 and 7 in this thread.
If I really wanted to use either version in the future, I would download the install package for any available version I liked and keep it handy.

I would do that real soon !
Like this evening !

 

ye, but its a personal little thing of mine, i hate using software thats discontinued, if its not being updated i personally don't like using it